Yuno

Genre-mashing singer/songwriter Yuno blends 1990s alt-rock, synth-pop, R&B, and more into his smooth yet distinctive songs. On releases like 2018′s Moodie and 2021′s “Somebody,” the way he filters reggae, skate-rock riffs, and trap-tinged beats through a chill 21st century lens makes him a master of recontextualizing.
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, to parents from the U.K. and of Jamaican descent, Yuno grew up as a loner, but his childhood passion for skateboarding led to falling in love with the music of HIM, AFI, and Rancid as well. As a teen, he taught himself how to play guitar and learned how to make beats from his cousin. Along with recording his music on his own, Yuno also added graphic design, photography, and videography to his skill set.
He released a few singles — including 2011′s Frequency 7” on Old Flame — as Unouomedude before switching to Yuno for 2012′s beachy “Sunlight.” He followed it with 2013′s dreamy R&B-tinged track “Grapefruit” and didn’t resurface until 2018, when his debut single for Sub Pop, “No Going Back,” arrived that February. The label released his first full-length, Moodie, that May. Following a 2020 reworking of Beach House’s “Zebra” for Sub Pop and Hardly Art’s Got You Covered series, Yuno returned in January 2021 with “Somebody,” which channeled his adolescent feelings of boredom triggered by the COVID-19 quarantine in its mash-up of emo and reggae-pop. ~ Heather Phares